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An adventure activity is a potentially dangerous activity listed under the Activities section of your policy. You're only covered while taking part in these activities if they're shown on your policy schedule.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) represents the overall interests of the UK's insurance industry. The Association speaks out on issues of common interest, helps to inform and participate in debates on public policy issues and acts as an advocate for high standards of customer service in the insurance industry. The Association has around 350 company members which, between them, provide around 90% of domestic insurance services sold in the UK. www.abi.org.uk/

Breakdown is the immobilisation of the vehicle due to a mechanical or electrical failure, theft or attempted theft, vandalism, accidental damage, a flat tyre or a lack of fuel that happens during the period of cover.

Buildings insurance gives you cover for the cost of rebuilding or repairing your house, fixtures and fittings within the boundaries of your home, if they're damaged or destroyed. Buildings insurance may be combined with contents insurance.

Cancellation is the ending of a policy before it's due to expire. There may be a cancellation clause in a policy setting out the conditions under which the policy may be cancelled by notice. The period of notice could be anything from 48 hours to three months. Cancellation may mean you get back some of your premiums, but in many cases you won't get anything back. You should check your policy details to find out, if this is something you're considering.

A child is any insured person, other than the policyholder and the policyholder's spouse or partner, who is aged 21 years or under and named on the policy schedule. Children are automatically covered if travelling with the policyholder, the policyholder's spouse or partner, or an adult (aged 22 years or over) insured by the policy, or as part of an organised school, university or club trip accompanied by a responsible adult. Children aged 16-21 years can be covered when travelling unaccompanied if you choose this option and it's shown on your policy schedule.

A colleague is a person in the UK who works for the same company as you and who, if away from work at the same time as you, would prevent the business from running properly. A director of the company must be able to confirm this in the event of a claim.

Complementary medicine includes acupuncture, hydrotherapy, osteopathy, physiotherapy and chiropractic therapy recommended by your vet and carried out by a suitably qualified person that has been specifically recommended by your vet.

Comprehensive car insurance covers accidental damage caused to your car as well as damage and/or injury you cause to another vehicle or its driver in an accident. It also covers your car if it's damaged by fire or stolen and not recovered.

A surgical procedure to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease. Arteries or veins from elsewhere in the patient's body are grafted to the coronary arteries to bypass narrowings and improve the blood supply to the heart.

Critical Illness Cover (CIC) is insurance that pays out on diagnosis of a specified condition during the policy term, after surviving at least 14 days. The cash from a claim under your Critical Illness Cover could be used to pay off a mortgage or make adaptations to your home, such as putting in wheelchair ramps. See Life insurance with critical illness.

Decreasing cover is designed to cover the reducing amount you owe on a capital and interest repayment mortgage. The amount of cover goes down each month but the premium is fixed when your plan starts and stays the same for the policy term. The amount of cover is not guaranteed to repay the amount outstanding under your mortgage. Also see Level cover.

Defaqto is an independent financial research company specialising in rating, comparing and analysing financial products. Defaqto is one of the leading providers of financial product data in the UK, covering over 30,000 products across banking, life, pensions, investments and general insurance.

The departure point is the airport, port, international train or coach station where your journey out of the UK to your destination begins, and where the final part of your journey back into the UK starts.

A doctor is a legally qualified person who holds the necessary certificates needed in the country in which they are currently practising. This can't include you, a travelling companion, someone you work with or a relative.

If you suffer a domestic emergency in your home, such as a blocked toilet, hot water or heating failure, call our Domestic Emergency Assistant helpline.

A trained operator will be able to help and advise you and if required arrange for emergency assistance or repairs to be completed by an approved tradesperson. If you use this service you will be responsible for paying the tradesperson's charges and any costs of materials incurred.

The Driving Standards Agency is part of the UK Department for Transport (DfT) with responsibility for setting the standards and conducting theory and practical driving tests. The DSA is also responsible for the:

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT), responsible for, among other things, issuing driving licences and vehicle registration documents. www.dft.gov.uk/dvla

An emergency fund is money you put aside to help you pay bills and buy important items if you're short of cash. You can insure against some emergencies, such as redundancy or medical problems but sometimes you might be caught unawares, so it makes sense to have an emergency fund just in case.

Endorsements are changes or special conditions that apply to the terms of a policy, and are sometimes called exclusions. In the motoring world, they also mean offences recorded on your driving licence.

An endowment insurance policy is one that offers you a combination of savings and life insurance. You make regular payments for the policy term, after which you're entitled to a lump sum. If you die during the policy term your policy pays out a predetermined lump sum. An endowment insurance policy is often tied to a mortgage with the intention that it will pay out any returns at the time your mortgage ends or a lump sum if you die before this.

An excess is the amount that you have to pay towards a claim. A compulsory excess is an excess applied by your insurer and could vary depending on your circumstances. A voluntary excess is a figure agreed with your insurer, usually where you agree to pay a higher part of each claim in return for a lower premium. Excesses vary between different types of cover (car, home, pet and travel) and voluntary excesses are not available on pet or travel insurance. Refer to your document of insurance for more information.

Financial advice involves discussions and recommendations about the most suitable financial product for you made by an adviser who is regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). We offer our own FSA-regulated advisers who can help you with your questions.

The Financial Services Authority is currently the independent body that regulates the UK's financial services industry. The FSA has a wide range of rule-making, investigatory and enforcement powers. www.fsa.gov.uk

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) offers advice and help for British nationals abroad. The FCO may advise against travel to some places and your travel insurance policy may not cover you if you choose to ignore that advice.

Friendly Societies are one of the oldest types of financial services operations around. Friendly Societies offer members a wide range of affordable savings, investments, insurances, pensions and specialist annuities and are similar to mutual life assurance companies but with different tax rules. LV= is the largest Friendly Society in the UK.

Fronting is when a, usually young, driver is added to a car insurance policy as a named driver when in reality he or she is the main driver. If you do this, any subsequent claim could be rejected because you've supplied false information when applying for your car insurance and you could end up with points on your licence for fronting and driving without insurance.

A Green card is evidence that you've the minimum insurance cover needed under the law of the country you're visiting. A Green card isn't needed for European travel, because minimum legal cover is automatically included in UK policies.

Gross earned income is the income you earn from your job, such as your salary before income tax and National Insurance is paid. (Net earned income is after deductions.) Earned income doesn't include, for example, any income from savings or investments.

Guaranteed rates mean that the premium you pay won't be changed by the insurer during the policy term. Reviewable rates mean the insurer can change the premium. They will usually only do this for specific reasons as explained in the policy conditions. If you've chosen an inflation-linked or index-linked policy or plan then your cover and premiums will go up in line with inflation. Also see Inflation-Linked Cover.

Your no claim discount (NCD) or bonus gives you a reduced premium for not making a claim on your car insurance policy. The longer the period of no claim, the higher the discount, up to a maximum, usually 75%. If you have a minimum of four years NCD then you can guarantee it, meaning that it will be protected for the life of your car insurance policy, no matter how many claims you make. Note that this only applies to Comprehensive cover.

The Highway Code is a list of rules, many of which are legal requirements, that applies to all road users. The Highway Code is essential reading for everyone. Its rules apply to all road users: pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists, as well as motorcyclists and drivers. You can get a copy of the Highway Code online at www.direct.gov.uk/highwaycode

Home entertainment equipment includes radios, televisions, digital, cable and satellite receivers, home computers including laptops, game consoles, video recorders, DVD players, record players, compact disc players and tape recorders but not mobile phones and other hand held devices.

This is where criminals use your personal details for fraudulent purposes, such as getting credit cards, loans, state benefits and documents such as passports and driving licences in your name. Find out more at www.identitytheft.org.uk

an electronic anti-theft device that helps stop the engine being started. Usually activated when you remove the ignition key. Usually factory-fitted by the manufacturer but may be retro-fitted and supplied with certificate of installation

or

a manual or mechanical immobiliser. Usually fitted to the steering wheel

Inheritance tax is a tax that may need to be paid on your estate; the money or possessions you leave behind when you die. Inheritance tax might also need to be paid on some gifts you make during your lifetime. You do have a tax-free allowance, also known as the 'nil rate band', which is currently £325,000 and unlikely to change until April 2015.

Joint life cover is where you and another person are both insured on the same policy. You can be insured on a first death or second death basis. If it's first death then the policy pays out when the first person dies during the term of cover, the other person is then no longer covered and the policy ends. If it's second death then the cover continues after the first person dies and remains in force until the second person dies, provided it's within the term of cover.

A trip that takes place during the period of insurance which begins when you leave home and ends when you get back home or to a hospital or nursing home in the UK, whichever is earlier.

For single trip cover

- a trip can't be more than 366 days if you are less than 65 years of age or more than 90 days if you are 65 years of age or over. Your trip is from the trip start date to the cover end date shown on your policy schedule.

- if you return home before your cover end date, all cover will also end.

For annual multi-trip cover

- you will only be covered if you are aged 79 years or under at the date that your travel insurance quotation was given

- there is no limit on the number of trips that you take during the period of insurance

- any trip which is booked to last longer than 31 days is not covered unless you have chosen to extend the maximum trip length (to 45 or 60 or 90 days) and this is shown on your policy schedule

- trips within the UK must be for at least 2 consecutive nights and havei pre-booked transport or accommodationorii be more than 25 miles from your home (unless it involves a sea crossing)

Knock-for-knock is an agreement between insurance companies to reduce paperwork and legal costs, where insurers pay for the costs of claims for their own policyholders, rather than claiming the money from the other party.

A policy lapses (or ends) if you stop paying the premiums. There is usually a period of time in which you must pay any premiums you've missed to stop this happening, so check your policy or plan conditions.

Legal action means settlement negotiations, hearings in a civil court, arbitration and any appeals resulting from such hearings that we've agreed to. This doesn't include any application by you to the European Court of Justice, European Court of Human Rights or similar international body.

Legal costs are fees, costs and expenses (including Value Added Tax or equivalent local goods and services tax) which we agree to pay for you in connection with legal action. Also, any costs which you're ordered to pay by a court or arbitrator (other than damages, fines and penalties) or any other costs we agree to pay.

Legal expenses cover is insurance against any fees you might have to pay if you consult or hire a lawyer, or if you're involved in other legal proceedings. Legal expenses cover is sometimes included with a policy or may be available as an optional extra. Legal expenses cover is often offered with home or motor insurance.

Life insurance is insurance that pays out a set amount of money if you die before the end date of your plan. The cash could be used to pay off a mortgage or provide a lump sum to ease the financial worries for your family.

You might be able to add critical illness cover to your life insurance policy. Or your life insurance policy might include critical illness cover. With a life insurance policy that includes critical illness cover, you get insurance that pays out a set amount of money if you die or are diagnosed with a specified condition during the policy term, after surviving at least 14 days.

Market value is the cost of replacing your vehicle with another of the same make, model, age and condition at the time of an accident or loss not the price you paid for it. (See UK market value for breakdown insurance definition.)

Cars used to be rated by insurance companies on a scale of 1 to 20. On 1 January 2010, a scale of 1 to 50 was introduced. The rating is based on the engine size, repair costs, risk of theft etc. and cars with a lower rating are usually cheaper to insure.

Multi car insurance means different things to different insurance companies; some companies put more than one car on the same policy, some offer a discount for a second, or subsequent, car insurance policy. LV= goes one stage further than that and actually offers a multi-insurance discount if you take out any combination of LV= insurance policies, not just multi-car insurance.

This is an inflammatory condition in which the fatty layers around the brain and spinal cord are damaged. It affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other.

Under the New Drivers Act, if you get six or more penalty points on your licence within two years of passing your driving test, the DVLA will revoke your driving licence and you'll need to reapply for a driving licence as a learner driver and re-sit your driving test.

No claim discount or no claim bonus gives you a reduced premium for not making a claim on your car insurance policy. The longer the period of no claim, the higher the discount, up to a maximum, usually 75%. Note: it's a no claim bonus, not a no blame bonus. Also see Guaranteed no claim discount or bonus.

Penalty points are points added to your driving licence if you're convicted of a driving offence. Your insurance premium may be affected if you get points on your licence; and you need to let us know if you have or get points on your licence.

For single trip cover - The period of insurance for all sections, other than cancellation, starts at the beginning of your journey and finishes at the end of your journey. Cancellation cover begins from the start date shown on your policy schedule and ends at the beginning of your journey.

For annual multi-trip cover - The period of insurance for all sections, other than cancellation, starts at the beginning of your journey and finishes at the end of your journey. Cancellation cover begins on the start date shown on your policy schedule or the date you booked your journey, whichever is the later, and ends at the beginning of your journey.

For single trip and annual multi-trip cover - The period of insurance ends on the end date shown on your policy schedule, unless you can't finish your journey as planned because of death, injury or illness or there's an unavoidable delay to the public transport system. In these circumstances, we'll extend cover free of charge until you can reasonably finish that journey.

Personal possessions cover insures you against theft, damage to or loss of your personal effects during a holiday / trip. Personal possessions cover is usually an optional extra selection. It covers each of your suitcases, trunks and similar containers (including their possessions contents) and items you wear or carry that are taken on, or purchased during, a trip by you (including your valuables).

The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) is the Government scheme allowing you to take your pet abroad to certain specified countries and re-enter the United Kingdom without the need for your pet to go into quarantine, provided certain criteria have been adhered to.

Phishing is a technique used to trick you into giving your personal details, this might be through bogus websites, web-forms emails, and documents, which will often disguise themselves to look genuine; risk of identity theft.

The policyholder or policy owner is the legal owner of the policy, and the person legally entitled to the benefits from it in the event of a claim. They are the main/lead person named on the policy schedule.

A premium is the amount you pay for your plan or policy. The frequency depends on the type of cover that you have, and could be monthly instalments, a single 'one-off' payment, three-monthly, six-monthly or yearly.

When a person dies, somebody has to deal with their estate (money, property and possessions left) by collecting all the money, paying any debts and distributing what is left to the people entitled to it.

Probate is the court's authority, given to a person or persons to administer a deceased person's estate.

The registered keeper of a vehicle is the person recorded by the DVLA as being liable for the licensing of the vehicle and declaring it off the public road (SORN) and the person the police would contact about motoring and parking offences. The registered keeper is not necessarily the legal owner of the vehicle.

- period of cover- name of the policyholder- sections of insurance that apply- the cost (if it's a Life policy or plan)- limits of cover, and- any conditions that may vary the terms of your insurance.

For travel insurance it identifies you, the period of insurance, the area of cover, the sections of this document of insurance that apply, and conditions which may change the terms of the document of insurance.

Single trip travel insurance, also known as single trip holiday insurance, means cover for just one holiday. A trip can't be more than 366 days if you are less than 65 years of age or more than 90 days if you are 65 years of age or over. Your trip is from the trip start date to the cover end date shown on your policy schedule. If you return home before your cover end date, all cover will also end.

Subsidence is the vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by the loss of support of the site beneath the foundations. Landslip is the sudden movement of soil on a slope or gradual creep of a slope over a period of time. Heave is the expansion of the ground beneath part or all of the building.See Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) (http://www.rics.org/).

Surrender value is what you might get back if you stop paying into your policy, for reasons other than death, before the agreed date. Most of the life insurance policies provided by LV= don't have a surrender value, so if you stop paying your premiums you get nothing back.

This is where the immune system attacks the body's own cells and tissues, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. It can affect any part of the body but most commonly affects the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system.

A terminal illness is a rapidly progressing and incurable illness where, in the opinion of an attending consultant and our Chief Medical Officer, you're not expected to live for more than 12 months from the date you're diagnosed.

Territorial limits means your pet is covered under all policy sections whilst in the United Kingdom.

In addition, provided you comply with all the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) regulations and requirements that apply both in the United Kingdom and the country to which you are travelling, this insurance also extends to cover your pet whilst temporarily located in any member country of the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) excluding non EU listed countries as defined by the government Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (defra).

Terrorism is an act or threat of action by a person or group of people, whether acting alone or in connection with an organisation or government, committed for political, religious, ideological or similar purposes intended to influence any government or to frighten the public or any section of it. An 'action' means: violence, damage to property, putting life in danger, creating a public health risk, or disrupting electronic systems or transport services.

The Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre, at Thatcham, carries out research for the motor insurance industry on the cost of car repairs and vehicle security. Thatcham research data are used as the basis for the Group Rating Panel's motor insurance group recommendations.

A trust is a legal arrangement set up by the owner of something (such as a life insurance policy) to be looked after until the time comes when it can be given to someone else. One benefit of setting up a trust is that you can make sure your life insurance payout goes to your dependants. By placing the policy in trust this may also help them avoid paying inheritance tax on the monies they receive.

Underinsurance is when you don't have enough insurance to cover the insurable value of your property. If you're underinsured, you're unlikely to be able to recover all your losses if you need to claim.

If a motor accident was the fault of a third party, we'll try to recover your uninsured losses such as repair costs, policy excess, loss of use, hire costs of alternative vehicle, transport costs, etc.

A vet is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons actively working as a veterinary surgeon in the United Kingdom or veterinary surgeon registered and actively working outside the UK in countries covered by the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS).

You may be able to specify a higher excess, known as a voluntary excess, in order to reduce your premium. The excess is the amount of an insurance claim that will be paid by you and is normally subtracted from the claim amount by your insurer.

Whole life insurance is a policy that pays out on your death. There is no fixed term, cover continues as long as you continue to pay premiums. You pay premiums throughout your life or until you reach a certain age, when premiums could stop but cover continues.

A will (or testament) is a legal declaration by which a person, names one or more persons to manage their estate and provides for the transfer of their property at death. Making a will is the best way for you to make sure that it's you who decides who benefits from your estate when you die. You should review your will regularly, especially when your circumstances change, for example if you have children.

You're covered while taking part in the following activities if you have chosen winter sports cover and it's shown on your policy schedule:skiing, snowboarding, big-foot skiing, cross-country skiing, glacier skiing, mono-skiing and snow blading. Off piste skiing is covered when you're skiing within the ski area boundaries of a recognised ski resort and following ski patrol guidelines.

Cover for winter sports is only available for people under the age of 65 years when the cover is taken out.

For single trip cover:We'll only provide winter sports cover from the trip start date to the cover end date as shown on your policy schedule.

For annual multi-trip cover:We'll cover winter sports for up to 15 days for the period from the cover start date to the cover end date unless you've chosen to extend this period to 31 days, and this is shown on your policy schedule.

Your car is the insured vehicle (including its accessories and spare parts). This is shown on your schedule. Cover also applies to a trailer, caravan or broken down motor vehicle while they're attached to your car for towing.